Confessions
by Naza
Summary: A girl is introduced to the Gundam team, but not quite in the way you might think. It's original, I swear. And she does fall for one of the pilots, but that's later... Needless to say, please R&R.
1. Default Chapter Title

Confession  
____   
NAZA  
  
"Do you bury me when I'm gone  
Do you teach me while I'm here  
Just as soon as I belong  
Then it's time I disappear"  
- Metallica, "I Disappear"  
  
Hikaru stepped off the train without any idea of where to go. Her eyes darted all around, looking for her good friend, Kouichi. The guy was kind of hot, Hikaru had to admit, but he was a little aloof. Too self-absorbed for Hikaru's taste.  
Hikaru was at a loss of ideas; she knew Kouichi was supposed to be here, but she didn't know where. For weeks Kouichi had been dropping hints that he was going to travel to Japan, but he had never pinpointed the place. He had just mentioned the name Kyoto a few times, and had a map of Japan pasted to his wall.  
Hikaru stopped thinking about Kouichi and brought herself back to the task at hand, which was finding and retrieving her Gundam. She was admittedly sort of anti-Gundam - only a few weeks before, she had been seriously considering membership to OZ. Her dream had been to be a soldier.   
Hikaru looked around again, and thought she spotted the back of Kouichi's head - but she was just seeing things. She quickly crushed the thing called hope that festered in her heart, and hurried to the platform.  
She glanced at the slip of paper in her back pocket. The brain-addled scientist who had joined with the six others to create her Gundam - was named Doctor I. Her Gundam was named Gundam Hellraiser.   
The paper read, "Kyoto Train Station, Platform 3, six-thirty PM."  
Hikaru leaned against the wall surrounding the platform. She didn't see Dr. I anywhere, or anyone that looked familiar. She felt like crying.   
She didn't even know if it really was Dr. I who had given her the note. She had simply received the note in her locker one day. When she talked to Dr. I about it, the woman hadn't given her a straight answer about it, only sly looks and words of encouragement, such as, "Maybe you should go investigate" and "It sounds intriguing."  
Now Hikaru sat on the cold stone ground and buried her face in her hands. "You gullible fool," she murmured to herself, followed by several self-deprecating epithets. "I can't believe I fell for this."  
Suddenly, Dr. I, in all her dark-skinned glory, emerged from the brim of the sea of people. She waved companionably to Hikaru.  
"Hikaru!" she shouted. Hikaru shot to her feet.   
"Dr. I! What are you - oh, no, wait... dumb question." Hikaru wrapped the tall, willowy scientist in an enthusiastic hug. "What am I doing here?"  
Dr. I smoothed back her thick black ringlets of hair away from her bright yellow eyes. "You've come to find your co-pilots, darling."  
Hikaru blinked.  
"Your co-pilots," Dr. I repeated slowly, as if speaking to a child.  
Hikaru blinked again.  
"Your...co...pilots...." Dr. I waved her hands about. "Understand?"  
"You mean...I'm not the only Gundam pilot...?" Hikaru asked. She was a little disappointed in a twisted way.  
Dr. I nodded her head vigorously. "You understand!"  
Hikaru shrugged proudly. "I'm just like that. Real perceptive, you know."  
Dr. I scratched her head. "Yeah. I'll bet." Then she paused. "Well, Kinjiro--"  
Hikaru blinked. "Kinjiro?"  
"Yep. Kinjiro."   
Hikaru plastered her hands to her face. "What in the hell are you talking about, Dr. I? I let you drag me here, and now you want to call me Kinjiro? No, Dr. I, that is where I draw the line!" she shouted.  
Dr. I shrugged. "There's really no use in protesting, Kinjiro."  
"Stop calling me that! Why are you calling me Kinjiro?!" Hikaru asked, her eyes wide in anger and her fists held up by her face.   
"Look, there's been a little change in plans, darling," Dr. I said. "I just found out a few days ago from Dr. J that there's a requirement to become a Gundam pilot. An admittedly foolish one, but a requirement nonetheless. One that I was conveniently not aware of," she added sarcastically, "until Hellraiser was completely finished. Men are so ignorant," she sighed.  
"That speech was nice and confusing," Hikaru said sardonically. "Just the way I like them. Now would you care to explain to me everything you just said, please?"  
"You have to be a guy to be a Gundam pilot!" cried Dr. I, burying her hands in her thick hair and clenching her fingers. "Stupid scientists!"  
Hikaru froze in disbelief. "Did you just say what I thought you just said?"  
"Yes. Kinjiro."  
Hikaru backed away until she was flattened against the wall of the platform. "No," she said. "No way, Dr. I. No way, no way, no no no no!"  
"Hellraiser is waiting!" Dr. I protested.  
"No!" shouted Hikaru. "I take pride in my femininity, and I am not about to cover it up so we can obey some stupid law!"  
"Kinjiro, there's nothing I can do. Hellraiser is built, and you are the pilot."  
"Can't I be, like, an independent pilot or something?" she asked desperately.  
"You would be picked off faster than a fly in a bowl of clam chowder," Dr. I told her simply.   
Dr. I may have been crazy, but she sure was smart.  
"My name is Kinjiro?" Hikaru asked miserably. Dr. I nodded.  
"Dr. J and the other scientists that constructed the Gundams are the only ones who know that you're a girl," Dr. I told the visibly frazzled Hikaru. Then she handed Hikaru a suitcase she had been carrying, which Hikaru hadn't noticed until now. "These are your clothes. The second inner compartment holds your uniform."  
"Uniform?" Hikaru didn't know if she could take much more of this.  
"School uniform. You must attend school, you know. What, you thought becoming a pilot would exempt you of that responsibility? I'm afraid it's not so, Hikaru darling. Or should I say, Kinjiro darling."  
"Won't the pilots get suspicious if the scientist that created my Gundam is a woman?" Hikaru huffed.  
"Probably. Which is why you'll have to seem as male as possible." Dr. I sighed. "I dislike this as much as you do, Hikaru, darling. Kinjiro, I mean. But I'm sorry. There's nothing either of us can do."  
As the two of them started off toward the station bathrooms so Hikaru could change, Dr. I added, "Oh, and you'll have to stop shaving your legs and under your arms as well. Unfortunately, as you may know, men are disgustingly hairy."  
Hikaru stopped dead in her tracks. "I have to do what?"  
"Stop shaving all together, Kinjiro darling. You'll get used to it."  
"Oh. My. God NO!!!" shouted Hikaru, whirling around to face the cat-eyed scientist. "Okay, I was marginal about being Miss Man and all at first, then I sort of got used to the idea. But now you tell me I have to be Miss HAIRY MAN, too?!"  
Dr. I sighed again and patted Hikaru's shoulder. "All I can say now, darling, is to get changed and get used to being called Kinjiro."  
Hikaru let a whine escape her lips. She walked briskly to the bathroom, toting the black suitcase that held her clothes.   
When she was safely inside, she whacked her forehead with the heel of her palm repeatedly. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!" she yelled at herself.   
The woman who had been washing her hands turned around. "Well, excuse me," she huffed and brushed past Hikaru.  
Hikaru couldn't help but giggle. "I didn't mean you," she told the woman, but she was already out the door.  
Hikaru locked herself in the largest stall and opened her suitcase. As she surveyed the clothes, she suddenly wished Dr. I was there to help her. But public bathrooms made Dr. I nervous, so Hikaru would have to tough it out on her own.  
She suddenly felt very embarrassed, as if someone was watching her. She spun around, and then she realized she was alone in the bathroom.  
Hikaru shed her shorts and blouse. She began to slip on the jeans, but realized to her dismay they were tailored for someone with a much vaster waist than her own. She pulled her shorts back on, and poked her head out the bathroom door. "Dr. I," she called.  
The dark-skinned, bright-eyed woman came to her nervously. "What is it, Hikaru? You know I can't stand public bathrooms, so make it quick."  
"These pants are too big," she whined.   
"There's a belt," Dr. I said quickly. "Is that it?"  
"Yeah." Hikaru rushed back to the stall and put on the dark blue jeans. She adjusted the belt until one end of it hung down to her knees. A decidedly dumb fashion, but there was nothing she could do. Hikaru was feeling increasingly helpless lately, and that was not something she was prone to.  
"Dammit. Dammit. Dammit." She repeated that over and over again until she was fully dressed.   
But there was something at the bottom of the suitcase, pale pink in color, that Hikaru hadn't noticed before. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands.  
It was an Ace bandage. "What is wrong with this picture?" Hikaru murmured to herself. "I hope that thing is not what I think it's for."  
She decided to leave it alone. "All right. Whatever. I'll just pretend I didn't notice it."  
She walked out of the stall and caught sight of herself in the mirror. She froze, staring at her reflection. She barely recognized herself.  
Except for her cleavage. That was the one undisguised thing about her. That, and her long brown hair. She pulled an elastic from her wrist and tied her hair back. It changed almost nothing. She still looked as much like a girl as she had before she had entered the bathroom.   
"Dr. I," she whined as she stepped out of the bathroom. "I still look like a girl. What makes you think these guys are going to believe that I'm a guy?"  
"Pure luck, darling," Dr. I said. "And a few alterations here and there."  
Hikaru looked confused. "Alterations?"  
Dr. I giggled evilly and Hikaru's eyes widened. 


	2. Default Chapter Title

YO! ^^ Naza here, for a second go at the fanfiction world. I want to thank everyone who reviewed my previous story, because you are all so wonderfully nice! I got such great feedback, which is why I'm here again. Thank you. *hugs everyone* Anyway, I was reading over this fic again today, and I realized that the writing style is almost painfully awkward at the beginning, but it gets better in later parts. So stick with me, peoples! ^^;; I love you all, and stuff. Read. o.o;;  
  
CONFESSIONS part 1 (or 2, depending on how you look at it. o.O;;)  
  
Dr. I pulled up the drive way, a long paved semicircle, and slammed the car door angrily behind her. She stalked into the house, and beckoned to Dr. J.  
  
Dr. I then stomped outside, and Dr. J went with her. "Dr. I?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"This is going terribly!" she cried.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She hated the idea of disguising her gender to become a pilot, and she refused to cut her hair. She's over there in the car sulking."  
  
Dr. J peered over Dr. I's shoulder. Indeed, there was Hikaru, sitting with her arms crossed over a curiously flat chest. Dark brown locks of hair fell into her face, and they were much longer than Dr. J found comfortable.  
  
Dr. J shrugged uneasily. "I told you from the beginning this wouldn't be easy."  
  
"I was so certain this would work," grumbled Dr. I. "I never counted on her being resentful about it. She picked us, not the other way around."  
  
"Are you sure this isn't a terrible decision you're making?" Dr. J asked her after long pause.  
  
"No, Dr. J, despite my complaints, I'm certain what I'm doing is the right thing," Dr. I told him. "She'll make a wonderful Gundam pilot. And Hellraiser is perfectly suited. Except she's being so difficult!"  
  
"I agree, to a point," Dr. J replied. "She is a talented pilot, and she has just the understanding of battle tactics to make herself immensely useful...but...she's a young budding woman, surrounded by six attractive young men." He paused. "Any rumors or secrets, or perhaps, privacy difficulties we may come across will create intergroup rifts. Do you see?"  
  
"Is that the only thing you're worried about, J?" Dr. I asked him. "What if she proves unsatisfactory in her position as pilot of Hellraiser? What do we do then?"  
  
"Destroy Hellraiser?" Dr. J suggested.  
  
"No!" cried Dr. I, turning to face Dr. J. "No! We simply bring in another pilot. A female, of course," she added slyly.  
  
"All right, so maybe that problem is solved. Sort of. But what about the conflicting genders problem, Dr. I? I am convinced that is the largest problem at hand."  
  
Dr. I shrugged. "She's a smart girl. She'll figure it out."  
  
Dr. J sighed. "I certainly hope you're right, I."  
  
"I am," the woman told him. "I know I am." She turned around so her back was to Dr. J. "Will you please talk to her, and see if you can persuade her to cut her hair? If not all off, then partly, so it's not as long as it is now?"  
  
Dr. J shrugged. "I'll try, but I'm not saying I'll work any wonders."  
  
Dr. I smiled. "Thank you, J."  
  
Dr. J walked to Dr. I's dark blue Explorer and opened the door. He slid into the seat next to Hikaru and got his first good look at the girl, the next new Gundam pilot.  
  
She looked tall, even sitting down. Her hair was a dark brown, slightly wavy, that fell over her face in locks. Her nose was sort of snubbed, with light freckles across the bridge and tip, and she had large blue eyes, ridged with gold. Her lips were molded into a childish pout, and her arms were wrapped around herself in a hug. The way she slumped in the seat and the expression on her face seemed to radiate defiance and stubbornness.  
  
"I'm Dr. J," he said, looking desperately for a conversation-starter. This girl did not look easy to budge.  
  
"It took me the better part of the last six years to grow this hair. It took me all of puberty to grow this body. I am not changing either of them, so stop wasting your breath," she growled.  
  
Dr. J inhaled sharply.  
  
"That crazy bitch made me wrap my chest up in an Ace bandage!" Hikaru cried, turning to face Dr. J. "Do you have any idea how painful that is?!"  
  
Dr. J shook his head, sighing. "No, thankfully, I don't know."  
  
Hikaru made a frustrated sound in her throat. "And then she insists on calling me Kinjiro! My parents named me Hikaru for a reason!!!"  
  
Dr. J put a wary hand on Hikaru's shoulder. "I know this identity transition is very hard to deal with at first, but it is necessary in the process of becoming a Gundam pilot."  
  
Hikaru snorted, but said nothing.  
  
"Now, I know you may be violently opposed to this, but I think it would be for the best if you cut your hair."  
  
Hikaru pulled a thick lock of hair from her haphazard bun at the top of her head and stared at it wistfully.   
  
"Humor me. It won't take long to grow back," tried Dr. J.  
  
Hikaru sighed. "Why me? Grr! I should have put that note through the shredder the moment I got it. God, Hikaru. Haven't you ever heard, curiosity killed the cat?" She looked down at her ridiculously baggy clothing. "Or, curiosity killed the sense of dignity, more like it."  
  
Dr. J patted her shoulder and withdrew his hand. "Are you willing to cut your hair now?"  
  
"I wouldn't exactly call it willing, but I'll do it." Hikaru leaned her head against the headrest on the seat, and Dr. J smiled gratefully.   
  
"We owe you one, Kinjiro," he said, and opened the car door.  
  
"I am a man," Hikaru murmured to herself. "I am a man. I am a man. My name is Kinjiro. I hock up loogies and I take ridiculously large dumps and I smell like a rotting corpse. I am a man."  
  
"That's the spirit, Kinjiro!" cried Dr. I, sliding into the driver's seat.   
  
"I don't know why you're so gung-ho about it," grumbled Hikaru. "I am a man."  
  
"Repeat that over and over again until you feel like a man."  
  
"I am a man," shouted Hikaru. She placed her hands on either side of her on the upholstery, turned her face to the sky, took a deep breath and yelled as loud as she could, "I am a man!!!"  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
"Hm," Hikaru shrugged. "I don't feel any different."  
  
Dr. I facevaulted.  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
  
Hikaru stared at herself in the mirror, stunned into silence. Her hair was cut within an inch of her scalp, and it was dyed black from the roots to the tips. A definite rebel look, and not one Hikaru's soft face and large eyes were suited for.  
  
"What have you done to me?!" Hikaru cried.  
  
"I like the spikes a lot, if I do say so myself," Dr. I said. "You think I should do the same?"  
  
Tears brimmed in Hikaru's eyes, and she ignored Dr. I's half-hearted attempts to cheer her up. "This is terrible!" she cried.  
  
"Look, next we go to pick up Hellraiser," tried Dr. I meekly.  
  
Hikaru brightened immediately. "Really?" she gasped.   
  
"Yeah. It's having the finishing touches added to it - small things, like the seat belt in the cockpit, some repaneling, you know. All the minor things. It should be ready later today." Dr. I smiled widely at Hikaru.  
  
Hikaru swiped at her eyes. "Let's go!"  
  
Dr. I paid, and thanked the stylist repeatedly, who was afraid she had done something wrong because of Hikaru's reaction to it.   
  
The two loaded into the Explorer, and Hikaru stared at herself in the mirror for several moments without saying anything.  
  
"The black clashes very attractively with your freckles and blue eyes," Dr. I told her.  
  
"You think so? Yeah, I guess it's not bad." She closed the mirror. "So. What kind of missions am I going on?"  
  
"Only minor ones at first, where you'll be accompanied by one of the other pilots. Then when you've proved to be the best pilot we can find, we begin to send you on missions by yourself. They'll start out small, like playing assistant to Wufei or Duo if they need to infiltrate a base. Then they'll get bigger, such as blowing up a base or battling OZ soldiers on your own. Then, you'll be doing stuff like infiltrating bases on your own, blowing buildings up with absurdly large amounts of explosives...that kind of thing." Dr. I shrugged. "We always start them off small, but you especially. You must learn to avoid getting too badly injured in battle, because there are certain complications that come with being a girl among a society of men."  
  
"Yeah, I see what you mean," Hikaru said.   
  
"Good, because I thought I was going to have to explain it to you, or something awkward like that."  
  
Hikaru laughed.  
  
"See, there's the smile I liked so much when I first met you," Dr. I said fondly, squeezing Hikaru's hand. "Trust me, Hika-chan; things only get better from now on."  
  
Hikaru smiled, and squeezed back. "That's good to hear, though I doubt anything could be worse than this." She looked in the mirror again and sighed. "Every day, life teaches me that I can get used to anything."  
  
Dr I laughed. "I like your haircut."  
  
"I think you're the only one who does," Hikaru snorted. "Damn. This sucks."  
  
Suddenly, she had an idea. "Hey! What if I didn't meet the pilots the conventional way, but stormed their mission one day with Hellraiser? That would be phat!"  
  
Dr I shrugged. "Fine with me, girl - I mean --"  
  
"Shut up," Hikaru warned.   
  
"Sorry. But you have to get used to being labeled as a man."  
  
Hikaru pulled the collar of her shirt away from her chest and peered down. "Oh my god," she whispered. "Well, at least I know I'll never sag when I get older."  
  
Dr. I burst out laughing.  
  
"I guess I feel better now," Hikaru said simply. "Now, are we there yet?"  
  
"No." Dr I kept her eyes on the road.  
  
"What's wrong, Dr I? Something tells me you're not taking me to the base where Hellraiser is..." Hikaru said nervously.  
  
Dr I turned to face her. "Don't worry, Hikaru, we're going to the base. I'm just letting my worries get to me."  
  
Hikaru shrugged. "It can't be that bad."  
  
Dr I ruffled Hikaru's hair. "I'm glad you finally think that."  
  
"So. We there yet?"  
  
"No."  
  
A few minutes later: "We there yet?"  
  
"No, Hikaru."  
  
"How many more minutes?"  
  
"Only a few, darling."  
  
Several minutes later, she said, "We're not there yet, dammit."  
  
"No, Hikaru, we're not."  
  
Hikaru sighed and began to fidget. "I hate long car trips."  
  
"Hikaru, we've only been in the car for twenty minutes." She punched Hikaru's shoulder. "Think of Hellraiser as a goal to be reached."  
  
Hikaru reached her hand up to her neck to twist her hair up into a messy chignon, a gesture she was prone to do when she was bored, but blinked in surprise when there was no hair to twist. "Oh, yeah," she murmured dejectedly.  
  
"Look! We're here!" Dr I called as they finally reached the base.   
  
"Where's Hellraiser?" shrieked Hikaru, launching herself out of the car before it even stopped moving.  
  
Dr I stared wistfully after her, thinking of how nice it would have been if Hikaru were her daughter. She realized how much Hikaru resembled Duo - if not physically, she had the same disposition, cheerful smile, and eagerness that was Duo's trademark.  
  
"Hellraiser is inside," Dr I said slowly.  
  
"Oh. Heh heh. Yeah, I knew that," Hikaru said sheepishly. Then she brightened. "I wanna see Hellraiser now!"  
  
Dr I laughed. "All right, all right, come on, you little bundle of energy."  
  
"Yep yep yep," Hikaru said, twirling around happily. "That's me!"  
  
"Calm down," Dr I said, placing both hands on Hikaru's shoulders. "Receiving Hellraiser isn't that big of a deal."  
  
"Ha!' laughed Hikaru. "Says you! You're not the one getting it!"  
  
"True," admitted Dr I. "But you need to seem as level as possible when we get inside, so the scientists won't doubt you."  
  
"Doubt me?!" shrieked Hikaru angrily. "Why, if they so much as even look at me funny, I'll --"  
  
"Now, Hikaru," interrupted Dr. I, "Let's not take your new role too far..."  
  
"Don't patronize me!" shouted Hikaru. "And I'm being serious!"  
  
Dr. I grimaced. "You are? Uh-oh."  
  
"Shut up. Not funny." Hikaru pouted. "Hn."  
  
"Okay, now be calm. Emotionless as possible. We're going through the sensors now, and if they detect an increase in your heart rate, they might be given more reason to doubt."  
  
"What, the bastards might think I'm part of OZ or something?" Hikaru asked.  
  
"Perhaps. If we're not careful. We're breaking an established rule here, you know. This won't be all peaches-and-cream from the minute you take your seat in Hellraiser. There will be difficulty along the way, some of it unavoidable."  
  
Hikaru frowned. "I knew that. Now where's my Gundam, dammit?"  
  
"These are the sensors," Dr I said, pointing to large black orbs lining the walls. Hikaru took several deep breaths before walking beneath them, and she walked with a steady gait and a straight back.  
  
She certainly looked regal and composed from behind.  
  
The two took an elevator up six floors to the top floor, the mechanics room, where Hellraiser was waiting.  
  
"Close your eyes," Dr I said, wanting to have a little fun.  
  
Hikaru smiled, and shut her eyes expectantly.  
  
Dr I lead the girl by the hand out into the cavernous room, where the sound of clanging metal and blowtorches echoed loudly.  
  
And there was Hellraiser.  
  
"Open your eyes," murmured Dr I.  
  
"Oh..." gasped Hikaru.  
  
"Hikaru, here comes one of the scientists. You have to pass his inspection. Make yourself look taller, deepen your voice, and just...well...be as manly as you know how, okay?" Dr I squeezed the girl's shoulder, and she tensed.  
  
"Hello," the scientist said. He was tall, with deeply wrinkled face and a bald head. He extended one of his large, callused hands. "My name is Master O."  
  
Hikaru shook his hand, grasping it tightly, and said in a gruff voice, "I'm Hik-- Kinjiro," she corrected herself quickly.  
  
"Do you have the hiccups?" Master O asked, smiling amusedly.  
  
"Um...yes," Hikaru said softly.  
  
"There is water in my office. Follow me." The man led Hikaru away from Dr I and she followed him down two long flights of steps. They stopped at a mahogany paneled door and stepped inside. The room was small and cool, with books lining either walls. There was a desk in the middle of the room, and the only light came through two large windows at the back of the room.  
Master O took his seat at the desk, and motioned for Hikaru to sit. She couldn't see anywhere to sit, so she remained standing.  
  
Master O leaned back in his chair, sighing. He steepled his fingers. "You didn't pass."  
  
"What? That was only, like, five seconds!" Hikaru protested. "All you did was hear my name!"  
  
Master O didn't reply, only regarded her with blank eyes.  
  
Hikaru sucked in air through her teeth. "Okay. Should I try again?"  
  
"You must, after this, pass another test that is much more difficult than this," Master O told her.  
  
"What test is that?"  
  
"First, piloting Hellraiser. Second, you must pass the scrutiny of your six fellow pilots. Theirs is much harsher than my own."  
  
Hikaru shrugged uncertainly. "Would you mind telling me their names? I mean, I've heard so much about them, but I don't really...know...them, you know?" Hikaru asked.  
  
"Certainly. There's Chang Wufei - he's Chinese. I myself constructed his Gundam, Shenlong."  
  
"Chang? Or is Wufei his first name?" Hikaru asked.  
  
"His first name is Wufei - and never confuse that. There will be grave consequences to pay if you do."  
  
"Oh? Like....?"  
  
"He'll make attempts on your life."  
  
Hikaru grimaced. "Wufei," she said. "Okay. Got him in my memory. Who's next, big guy?"  
  
Master O sighed.  
  
"Sorry. Guess that wasn't very 'man' of me, was it?"   
  
Master O shook his head. "Next is Trowa Barton. Not even Doktor S, who created his Gundam, knows much about him. He's secretive, and quiet. You'll know him right away; he combs his hair over one eye in a rather flamboyant and unattractive fashion."  
  
Hikaru laughed. "Okay. Trowa. Cool."  
  
"Next is Quatre Raberba Winner. He's the little brother in the group. You'll know him immediately as well. He's Arabian, blonde, and adorable."  
  
Hikaru hid a giggle behind her hand. "Cool. Adorable. I can deal with that. Next?"  
  
"Heero Yuy," Master O continued. "Antisocial as they get. Admittedly handsome, and the best pilot I've ever come across in my life. He is the undisputed 'leader' of the pilots."  
  
Hikaru nodded, leaning her chin in her hand.  
  
"Then there's Duo Maxwell. He's the joker of the group. He keeps the missions enjoyable, to say the least. He's American, and there's not much else to say about him, I guess. I'm assuming you'll like him the most. He seems more your style."  
  
"Is that it?"  
  
"No, there's a last. His name is Sakura Hitaki. He's only been part of the Gundam pilots for a few months. He seems rather suspicious, but his benefactor - Prof X, who created his Gundam Dragonlair - refuses to reveal his true identity."  
  
"You mean, you think maybe he's a girl?" Hikaru asked hopefully.  
  
"Perhaps. We don't have any evidence, other than he's more girlish than most males. But that's just the way he is, I suppose." Master O scratched his bald head.  
  
Hikaru smiled widely. "So. Yeah. Those are my copilots. I worked out with Dr I that I would storm one of their missions one day to make myself look, you know, cooler."  
  
Master O shrugged. "A typical plan. That's all right. Duo and Heero have a mission late tomorrow, infiltrating an L2 colony MS base."  
  
"Cool!" Hikaru exclaimed. "Can I try to fly Hellraiser between now and then?"  
  
"Yes, if you want. It won't be ready before four hours from now, but if you'll be patient, you can fly it tonight."  
  
Hikaru jumped up and down excitedly and pumped her fist in the air. "Things are definitely looking up," she said, laughing delightedly. "This is so cool."  
  
---  
  
So thassit! Fer now. *evil grin* What do you think? More? No more? Gratuitous sex? Tell me. Review. Now. o.o;; 


	3. Part 3

BWAHAHAHAH! Yesss! I've done it! =D I've finally gotten the third part of Confessions up! WOO! *dances around* I'm sooo prooooud! Haha, sorry to keep you all waiting. ^^;;; I really didn't meeean tooooo! *puppy face and shoujo sparklies and stuff* Oooh, speaking of puppies, I just got two new doggieeees! =D Well, not that you guys care.. but... @_@;; I just had to share XD Anyway! Um um um ok, so, here it is. Sorry, some of it doesn't make sense. I'm working on the fourth part right now. ^-^  
---  
CONFESSIONS Part 3  
---  
The bathrooms in Quatre's house had five toilets and three shower stalls each, and there were two bathrooms. Each bathroom was filled: the first by Aud, Ahmed, Abdul, and Rasid, the second by Quatre, Trowa and Heero. Wufei and Duo and spectator Tseng were in the living room playing a game of noisy and violent checkers.  
  
"King me!" shrieked Duo.  
  
"Shut up, Duo! You don't get kinged until you reach one end of the board, which you haven't!" yelled Wufei, followed by a loud smacking sound.  
  
Hikaru smiled softly to herself before slipping into a bathroom. She tried to be as quiet as possible, trying not to attract Trowa or Heero's attention. They were standing at the sink, washing their hands. She slipped quickly into one of the stalls without any of them noticing her.  
  
Hikaru shed her clothes and stepped under the showerhead. She turned the knob, but with some difficulty. The water was cold at first, but soon warmed up, and she welcomed the feel of the cleansing liquid on her dirty and two-days-unwashed skin.  
  
"Duo! Stop cheating!" Hikaru heard Wufei shout from the living room.  
  
"I'm not cheating!" Duo yelled back. "King me, you rat bastard!"  
  
Hikaru stifled a giggle with her hand, and she heard Trowa and Heero leaving the room. Quatre was showering, and as soon as the door closed after Heero and Trowa, Quatre began to sing. His voice was trembling and melodious, and he was singing what sounded like a love ballad. It was in a foreign language, but he seemed very comfortable with the dips and swings of the words. It was beautiful, even without music to accompany it.  
  
Hikaru smiled with pure joy at the sound of Quatre's voice. Then she reached for the bottle of shampoo, squirting a glob into her palm and working it through her hair. The one good thing about having such short hair was it took much less time to groom it.  
  
"Hold on, you loser, I gotta go wee," Duo said loudly. "When I get back, you better have kinged me."  
  
Wufei snorted.  
  
Hikaru froze, and Quatre's singing stopped. Hikaru suddenly felt stripped bare without his strong voice in her ears.  
  
"Hey, mah bitches," Duo called to Quatre he swaggered into the bathroom. Hikaru could see his blurry outline through the frosted shower curtain moving in a dark shroud. "I didn't know you could sing." He cackled.  
  
Hikaru was suddenly very afraid of being found out. Her mind began to wander to the consequences if she was found out. Would she be executed? Probably not. But...what would happen? She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.  
  
Hikaru cowered against the cold tile wall of the shower stall, her whole body shaking. She looked for a towel to cover herself with, but the only towels were hanging on racks outside the curtain. She would have to reach out and would be noticed. She couldn't remember having ever been so frightened in her life. She remembered, though, her father telling her about episodes like this… Panic attacks, he called them. From extreme fright or paranoia.   
  
Great.  
  
Duo suddenly stopped in the middle of the floor. "Oi, who's in the shower?"  
  
"M-me," stammered Hikaru.  
  
"Hi, Kinjiro!" Quatre and Duo both called at the same time.   
  
"Hi," she squeaked.  
  
She realized Duo's blurry figure was getting larger - which meant he was getting closer. She saw a smudged pink blotch reaching out for the edge of the curtain.  
  
"Duo, no!" she yelled.  
  
The pink blotch drew back quickly. "Sorry, Kinjiro, didn't know you were in that one," he apologized.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Hikaru snorted.   
  
"I didn't!" Duo protested, snickering.  
  
"I didn't even know you were in here," Quatre said, turning off his shower.   
  
Hikaru washed her sudsy hair and began soaping herself, glancing at the shower curtain every few minutes to make sure Duo wasn't peeking his head in or something like that.  
  
Hikaru finally finished a few minutes later, but was worried about turning off the shower and stepping out. Duo and Quatre were still standing in the bathroom, talking about nothing particular.   
  
Hikaru peered out from behind the curtain and saw Quatre standing at the sink. He was naked and dripping wet save for a small white towel slung loosely around his slim pale hips. Duo was sitting next to him on the counter, shirtless, untangling his hair with a wire brush. Duo's skin was unusually tan and dark compared to Quatre's snowy complexion, and his brown hair looked browner in comparison to Quatre's blonde locks.  
  
Finally, she heard Duo and Quatre get up and leave. "Thank god," she sighed, and turned the shower off. She wrapped a towel tightly around herself and dashed out.  
  
"Ha!" she thought to herself. "I didn't screw up. So there, Dr. I."  
  
- - -  
  
Hikaru scaled the body of her Gundam and shoved herself into the cockpit. The metal of the console and the joystick were cold to her touch. Her blood was pumping in anticipation of the mission.  
  
To her left was Sandrock. To her right was Heero in the Wing Zero. Quatre was napping in the cockpit of Sandrock, and Heero was sitting on the chest of his Gundam, in some sort of pre-mission trance. Duo told her it happened all the time and to just ignore him, which she usually did anyway.  
  
The carrier bumped and swayed soothingly, but Hikaru was filled with adrenaline. She couldn't have relaxed even if she had wanted to.  
  
This was her very first official mission, and she was psyched. She knew she'd do well; she was determined not to screw up, as she was so prone to do.  
  
Suddenly she heard scuffling from the leg of her Gundam. She stuck her head out the cockpit door and saw Quatre and Duo's blonde and brown heads coming closer.  
  
"Hi, guys," she greeted them, a little surprised.  
  
Duo looked up, his purple eyes twinkling. "Yo, Kinji-ro," he teased.  
  
Quatre turned his face up. Hikaru smiled openly at him, and his ocean-blue eyes creased into a grin.  
  
"Look, we wanted to come to wish you luck," Quatre said after the three of them were all inside the cockpit. "Tseng was really nervous on his first mission, and we wanted you to know that there's four of us to back you up, so you don't have to worry. You'll be fine with us watching you."  
  
"Oh, I feel so much better," Hikaru retorted.  
  
"Look," Duo went on, and slung a casual arm around Hikaru's shoulders. She moved subtly closer to him, but he didn't seem to notice. "There's nothing to be afraid of. We're doing this for the colonies, not ourselves."  
  
"I'm surprised you remembered that so long, Duo," Quatre said, laughing.  
  
Duo shrugged proudly. "Yeah, me too."  
  
Hikaru talked with them for the rest of the trip, which was two hours. Halfway through, Wufei came to join them, and he and Duo got in a heated argument about checkers and proper method of getting kinged.  
  
"I have a checkerboard in my Gundam. You want me to check the instructions?" Duo challenged.  
  
Wufei squared his shoulders. "Yeah. But I'm right and you're wrong and you know it!"  
  
Duo snorted. "Whatever." Then he scrambled off the Gundam to get his board and instructions.  
  
Hikaru and Quatre looked at each other and dissolved into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.  
  
Duo's head popped back up over the edge of the cockpit door. "What?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. Hikaru giggled. "What's so funny, dammit?"  
  
"You and Wufei," she gasped, holding her stomach and collapsing onto her back in the cockpit.  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud "thud" and the plane jerked as it landed with a harsh bump. Duo toppled over, and Quatre was pitched forward. Hikaru was thrown forward and landed hard on top of Quatre. He cried out in pain as one of his ribs cracked against the console and the left joystick jammed into his hip.  
  
Hikaru shrieked as she slammed against the cockpit windshield and the air was knocked out of her. Quatre threw his arms around her shoulders and they lay, chest to chest for a moment, regaining their surroundings.  
  
Suddenly Hikaru realized Quatre was sobbing quietly into her neck. She pulled away and looked at him. Blood was leaking out of one side of his mouth and there was blood staining the left hip of his khakis.  
  
"Unnhh..." he groaned, and shut his eyes tight. His breathing was shallow and pained. "Kinjiro..."  
  
"Oh my god," Hikaru gasped. "Oh… oh...Quatre, don't move...please, just don't move..."  
  
"I..." Quatre coughed, and then clenched his teeth.  
  
"Don't say anything, don't speak, Quatre," Hikaru put her hand on his cheek, which was flushed and hot. "Shhh… It's gonna be okay...Just hold on a little longer, Q..."  
  
Duo scrambled up and launched himself into the cockpit. His whole body froze as he spotted the helpless, agonized Quatre, lying in Hikaru's arms. Hikaru lifted her hand from his neck and it was covered in blood.  
  
Wufei poked his head in, looking unusually concerned. "You guys alrigh - Quatre!" He gasped, and joined Duo in the cockpit. His eyes were wide and his face was pale.  
  
"This can't be happening!" Hikaru moaned, her whole body frozen and her mind in a frenzied state of denial.  
  
Quatre looked at Wufei and smiled through his pain. He raised one trembling hand and wiped away the tears that stained his cheeks. "I think..." he wheezed, "I think my ribs are broken..." He opened his mouth to say more, but it ended up as a snarling yell of agony as Duo bent down and picked the blonde boy up.  
  
"Duo, what are you doing?" Hikaru yelled. "Don't move him, stupid!"  
  
Duo fixed her with his cat-eyed stare, and placed Quatre on one hip like a baby. Then he proceeded to climb out of the cockpit into the platform of the harbor, still carrying Quatre. The carrier had come to a complete stop, and several aides were rushing in. Two spotted Duo carrying the bloody Quatre, and yelled for EMCs.  
  
Duo deposited the still-crying Quatre on the proffered stretcher and walked back to Hellraiser where the pale-faced Wufei and frantic Hikaru were waiting anxiously. "So?" Hikaru urged as Duo came back. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Quatre can't be in this mission," Duo said gravely. "Kinjiro, it looks like it's gonna be just you in the base."  
  
Hikaru couldn't hold back a scream of fear, frustration, worry and denial. "No way!" she shrieked. "Not gonna happen!"  
  
Duo put his hands on her shoulders in a reassuring gesture, but she shoved him away. "No, Duo! It can't just be me… You don't understand!"  
  
"I'll go," Wufei said, and made his way back to the abandoned Nataku. It sat waiting for him, and he got inside. The Gundam roared to life, and he piloted it outside into the landing flat. "Come on!" he shouted, his voice muffled through the microphone.  
  
Hikaru rubbed her throat, thinking. She didn't know Wufei's battle tactics, or if he could sneak well, but it was better than just her alone.  
Duo climbed into Deathscythe Hell, and Heero awoke from his trance long enough to start up WZ.   
  
"Tseng's coming by afterwards," Duo told Hikaru, as if to calm her. "You don't have to worry about anything."  
  
"Alright," Hikaru said, and steeled herself. The image of Quatre's pained face and the blood - his blood - on her fingers sent shivers through her body and blurred her vision with hot tears. "Come on, we'd better hurry. Dr I told me that they were putting a time limit on this mission."  
  
"Probably to test you and how good your skills are," Heero told her deadpan. He didn't seem to mind that one of his teammates was lying inept in an ambulance, bleeding and wounded.  
  
"Probably." Hikaru shook hair out of her face and looked down at the console. She knew how to pilot Hellraiser; she had since the first minute she had sat in the pilot's seat, and the hulking destroyer seemed to have a spirit and mind of its own.   
  
Duo snorted. "Well, whatever they tryin' to do, let's one-up them, shall we? Show 'em that Kinjiro is not to be messed with."  
  
Hikaru laughed happily, and waved her crossbow in the air to show her appreciation to Duo. He saluted her with the huge hand of his Deathscythe Hell.  
  
The three of them piloted their Gundams outside to where Wufei was waiting, his left hand in the shape of a dragonhead, already poised.  
  
"So," Wufei began, sighing. "Our mission has a time limit?"  
  
"Apparently so," Heero said.  
  
"When does the time limit start?"  
  
Hikaru shrugged. "I don't know," she told him. "But Dr I said that it would start when the real mission began, so I guess we've got to move it when we enter the base."  
  
Wufei made a small affirmative noise, like "Hn," and gunned his busters. Nataku shot up in the air, straight up at an incredible speed. Hikaru followed him up and wondered briefly if he really knew what he was doing.  
  
Duo joined them after a few minutes. The bat-like wings of his Gundam flapped and contracted as it moved. He reached into a small attachment that looked like a giant steel pillbox that was attached to the leg of Deathscythe and pulled out six ten-foot-long orange batons. They had a glowing wick on one end. Duo tossed them into the air, and then a few more over a range of a few hundred feet. As they settled in the air, the wick burst into a bright flame. Those were the blazers.  
  
Hikaru couldn't help but feel enthusiastic. This was routine for Duo and Wufei but Hikaru had never done this before. It was her first official test, and she *had* to pass. Her whole life depended on it. She began to tremble in anticipation, and bit her lip hard to steady herself.  
  
"Calm, calm," she whispered to herself like a mantra. She could *not* screw up.  
  
"You okay over there, Kinjiro?" asked Duo.   
  
"I'm fine," she reassured him, sounding braver and calmer than she actually felt. Then she swerved Hellraiser around to face Wufei. "Tell me again why this base is important to the UESA?" she asked him.  
  
"Well, the Cinq Kingdom owns not only earth but parts of space as well," Wufei explained. "This base is half on, half off of one of the sections of space that belongs to the Kingdom. So we can't fully destroy it, just infiltrate and evict all OZ occupants and return the base to its rightful owner."  
  
Hikaru nodded. "I get it. When will we be there?"  
  
"We should be arriving about -- now."  
  
Suddenly, the floating colony that served as a base for OZ came into view over a hunk of suspended flotsam that once must have been a mobile suit.  
  
Hikaru gasped softly. "It's so big..." she breathed, not caring if she sounded stupid. The base was immense, with the custom steel-paneled outer layers and small yellow dots serving as lit windows all about the circular structure.  
  
"What, ya never seen a colony before, dude?" Duo asked in amusement.  
  
Hikaru stared in amazement at the hulking creation before her. It wasn't that intimidating, really, but Hikaru couldn't help but feel afraid of it. It emanated a certain sense of foreboding. Hikaru could see the nodules that were the tell-tale signs of hidden beam cannons underneath the steel paneling, waiting to attack and annihilate any intruder who may have been obscure enough to trespass onto the surrounding area. She piloted Hellraiser nearer to the colony, desperate to get a closer look.   
  
Duo swerved DH around so it was blocking Hikaru's path. "Don't go any closer!" he warned frantically. "See those little rises on the surface of the structure?"  
  
Hikaru laughed. "Duo! Of course I know. Those are beam cannons, that would have vaporized Hellraiser in about three to five seconds had I ventured any closer - or had you not stopped me, you brave man."  
  
Duo snorted. "Just don't forget."  
  
Hikaru shook her head, all of a sudden serious. "Come on, you guys, let's go. I just want this mission to be over."  
  
"What? What's this? I thought you were totally psyched for this mission, Kinjiro! What the hell happened?" asked Duo, concerned.  
  
"Well, I was totally psyched. Then Quatre's...um, accident, sort of screwed up the joyful mood." Hikaru sighed again, and stared at her hands, closed tightly around the joystick of the controls. There was dark crimson blood staining the cuticles of her fingernails and it was smeared in a reddish-brown stain over the backs and palms of her hands. Hikaru shuddered.  
  
"I hear ya, man, I hear ya," Duo said gravely.  
  
"This one's for Quatre," Hikaru announced suddenly, her voice trembling. "This mission is for Quatre's sake. We can't fail."  
  
"We can't let Blondie down," Duo yelled with bravado. "Not after what he went through. Comrades, to arms!"  
  
Wufei and Hikaru both gunned their engines and charged forward, dragon and crossbow at the ready. "Die!" yelled Wufei as he began advancing upon the colony.  
  
"No, no, Chang, none of that," said a firm and reprimanding voice. Hikaru, Duo and Wufei all stopped their charge quickly.  
  
"Tseng?" Wufei asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah, it's me," Tseng said, laughing. Hikaru felt her insides drop. Tseng had ultimately been a bad-luck charm for Hikaru; around Tseng, Hikaru's "I'm a guy" practice went to waste. Hikaru felt completely at ease with herself around Tseng, and when that happened, she let her guard down. When her guard was down, she was more prone to a) screw up, or b) screw up.  
  
Hikaru flew Hellraiser away from Dragonlair and closer to the colony.   
  
"You got here pretty quickly," Wufei said suspiciously. From what Hikaru had heard, Wufei and Tseng were on pretty thin ice with each other - they weren't very fond of the other's personality. Tseng could be a real pain in the ass to Wufei sometimes, because Tseng was clever and tactful whereas Wufei was just angry and antisocial.  
  
"Yeah, so I tailed you for a few hundred miles. I got some pretty negative vibes from the doctors, and wanted to take a look for myself without having to wait. So what happened?"  
  
Hikaru also knew that Tseng and Quatre were incredibly close. They did everything together. Basically, they were best friends, and were inseparable. Hikaru thought that they were pretty sweet together, and if one had been a girl, she was sure they would make Cutest Couple of the Century.  
  
"Are you sure you want to hear this, Tseng?" asked Hikaru shakily.  
  
Hikaru could almost feel Tseng's apprehensive curiosity. "Yes," he said slowly. "Tell me."  
  
"It's about Quatre," Hikaru said. There was a brief strained silence, and then Tseng shouted, "Tell me, goddammit!"  
  
"Quatre had a little...accident," Duo said darkly. "The carrier landed badly and threw us all off, and Quatre broke his ribs and generally got the shit knocked out of him when he was… thrown against the floor." Hikaru noted with surprise how Duo said Quatre hit the floor, not the control panel of Hellraiser.  
  
"Oh, shit!" Wufei suddenly yelled. "They've spotted us. We've lingered too long!"  
  
- T B C -  
---  
Aren't you proud of meee? :B Bweeheheheh. Review review! n.n And as a side note, a big apology for any typos or things that didn't make sense in the earlier parts. I'm working on changing that for the next few parts, and focusing more on her relationship with the other pilots. It becomes a *lot* like a soap opera, actually... @_@; But you find out more about Tseng. And Hikaru, of course, is plagued by horrid screw ups all the way through. XD But it'll be up soon, I hope. ^^ Til then, keep reviewing.  



	4. Part 4

Ahoy, me here, with the fourth (or fifth?) post to Confessions. This one's the shortest yet. Oh, and btw, Tseng's Gundam is named Dragonlair. It's big, blue, and a bit sleeker than the others. It carries a huge shuriken (like Yuffie's XD) and a beam sword. It is, if you haven't caught on already, a creation of a friend's. She and I wrote corresponding stories - she's Tseng, and wrote a story from her point of view (with Hikaru in it) and of course I'm Hikaru. Our stories are almost exactly the same in theme, only the roles are reversed, and Tseng falls for Quatre, not - erk, well, I won't say. ^^;; Also, in case you were wondering, Hellraiser is black and white - it resembles the Deathscythe, but it's a lot less boxy. It carries a quiver of huge metal arrows on its back that have thick cords attached to the end (the butt? I forgot what it's called X.x) so she can pierce enemies and reel 'em in like unlucky fishies. ^_^; Woo, ok, NOW READ! o.o;  
  
---  
CONFESSIONS Part Four  
---  
  
"It's about Quatre," Hikaru said. There was a brief strained silence, and then Tseng shouted, "Tell me, goddammit!"  
  
"Quatre had a little...accident," Duo said darkly. "The carrier landed badly and threw us all off, and Quatre broke his ribs and generally got the shit knocked out of him when he was thrown against the floor." Hikaru noted with surprise how Duo said Quatre hit the floor, not the control panel of Hellraiser.  
  
"Oh, shit!" Wufei yelled. "They've spotted us. We've lingered too long!"  
  
"Damn damn *damn*!" Duo cursed, agitated. "All right, let's go! Fast!"  
  
"Go go go!" shouted Wufei, waving Altron's arm frantically. "Move out!"  
  
Hikaru sped towards the base, joined neck and neck by an enthusiastic Duo and a grave, determined Wufei. Tseng lingered behind, and Hikaru swerved around and approached him slowly. Opening her mouth to console him, she jerked in surprise when she heard, over the microphone, small, breathy gasps that could only have been sobs.  
  
"T-Tseng?" Hikaru asked timidly.  
  
"Is he okay?" Tseng asked, his voice breaking.  
  
Hikaru edged Hellraiser closer. "I don't know, Tseng," she said in a soothing voice as she could. "I hope to God he is, though. I understand how you feel --"  
  
"No, you don't," murmured Tseng, not unkindly. "I don't need your pity, Kinjiro. It's not like he's dead or anything."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but still --"  
  
"Go. Wufei and Duo need your help," Tseng said gently.  
  
Hikaru left quietly, without another word to Tseng. She felt strangely unsettled, but calmed and reassured at the same time. Tseng was a kind and gentle soul, and Hikaru felt a peculiar detached affinity for the guy. She knew he already had Quatre, but watching the two of them laughing and joking together sent a lonely shudder through Hikaru. She wished she had someone like Quatre to confide in, like Tseng did.   
  
It was strange, the way they sometimes acted; like the two of them knew something the five others didn't. Quatre would make small obscure comments to Tseng that obviously had a hidden meaning, and Tseng would throw a small fit at him.  
  
The thing Hikaru couldn't put her finger on was what it was they shared. Were they lovers, or dating, and keeping it secret from the rest of the pilots? She doubted it very seriously, though. Tseng and Quatre just...weren't like that. They were more like best friends who enjoyed each other's company. They were like best friends. It made Hikaru a little envious, but she'd rather die before she admitted it.  
  
Hikaru slowly made her way back to where Wufei and Duo were waiting, surveying the scene. Alarms were going off, audible even from where the three pilots stood, at least a hundred yards away. Code-red mobile suits began to filter out of the harbor at an alarming rate. Strangely enough, the mobile dolls were absent from the field, but Hikaru considered that a blessing of sorts.   
  
She shuddered, clenching her teeth and reminding herself of the pain of Quatre's face as she held him in her arms, only a little while earlier.  
  
"For Quatre," she murmured once more before charging into the fray.  
  
---  
  
Duo's crucifix cut painfully into Hikaru's hand as she crept along the floor, hugging the walls and her haven shadows. She grasped the metal cross tighter, and her palms began to ache with a biting pain. But she would never let go of it; it was her only reminder that there were people waiting for her when she got out of here. *If* she got out of here…  
  
Lady Une's twirled, Danish-style braids were now in view. Hikaru concentrated on the back of the tall woman's head, and jerked in dismayed surprise as she noticed Une had a .44 caliber strapped to her thigh. But she wasn't going to let a minor detail like that stop her, not after she had gotten this far - and by herself, too. All she needed now was to slip by Lady Une & Co unnoticed, get into the main control room, shut off the power and swipe the disks from the spooling drive. All, of course, without getting noticed.  
  
No big deal, really.  
  
Hikaru inched her way, on hands and knees, past the regal-looking, skinny brunette who held the position of power in all of OZ, serving as Treize's personal slave.  
  
Lady Une scoffed in calm surprise as she leaned forward to examine a computer monitor. It showed a camera view of the area surrounding the base, and Tseng's Gundam Dragonlair was in full view. Tseng was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Judging from the fact that Tseng wasn't moving, Hikaru opted for the latter.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed to Tseng silently.   
  
"So, they've decided to come for us, have they?" Lady Une mused as she watched the unmoving Dragonlair. "Ready the cannons, Sedici."  
  
A stocky, ugly, dark-haired man standing to the left of Lady Une nodded once and saluted. "Yes, Lady." He turned on his heel and walked out.  
  
Now it was just Hikaru, Lady Une, and some other guy. He looked vaguely familiar, yet Hikaru couldn't quite place it. That disfiguring mask and long blonde hair definitely rang a loud bell.*  
  
"Well, Lieutenant, any advice for our current situation?" Lady Une asked, turning to the man. He shrugged calmly.   
  
"Sit back and wait," he replied, with an air of unperturbed smugness.  
  
Lady Une sighed disgustedly, as if she had really known it was a bad idea to ask the man for advice but had done it anyway, and had gotten the exact reaction she had expected. "His Excellency will be here shortly. You can discuss with him this unfortunate turn of events."  
  
Hikaru clenched the fist not holding Duo's cross, mumbling curses under her breath.  
  
Beneath her, the floor began to vibrate minutely, a sign that the cannon was charging. Tseng was still motionless.  
  
"Come on, come on! Move, move, move, Tseng, you bastard!" hissed Hikaru. "How could you be so stupid? You'll die!"  
  
A fleet of mobile suits surrounded Tseng like a fatal shroud. The pilot didn't move, still. His huge navy blue Gundam remained motionless - until the first Taurus suit ventured within a few hundred feet. It had exploded in a ball of flame before Hikaru could even blink.  
  
Tseng withdrew his massive shuriken and then slung it back over his shoulder. A battle cry exploded from his throat and Dragonlair darted forward into the thicket of suits and wiped out sixteen with a single swipe. His beam sword destroyed several others.  
  
Lady Une cursed loudly. "Looks like we underestimated the little bastard."  
  
Hikaru stifled a squeal of joy. "I knew you'd come through, you little shit!" she giggled silently, cheering him on. But the feeling of the cold crucifix in her hand reminded her of why she was really here, and she resumed crawling quickly. She made her way as quickly as she could to the main control room, whose door was very clearly labeled.   
"Almost there," she groaned softly. "Keep them distracted, Tseng." She made a mental note to shower him with thanks later.  
  
Hikaru shot to her feet when she was only three or four feet away from the door. She quickly entered the code she had gotten from the security guard she'd knocked out and slipped in as quietly as she could. Hikaru hoped fiercely there were no cameras or sensors to catch her progress.  
  
There was a large red switch mounted on the left wall that was in plastic casing. Hikaru reasoned this was her target and scampered to it quickly.  
  
There was a large yellow triangle on the casing, and beneath it read:   
  
DO NOT TOUCH. SWITCH SHOULD NEVER BE POINTING DOWNWARDS.   
  
Hikaru smirked. Then she flipped the switch downwards.  
  
The first thing she realized was that it was really dark. The next thing she realized was that there was a lot of shouting and it was coming closer. Then the third and final thing she realized was that the door was opening.  
  
- T B C -  
---  
*Yes, there's a tie between Zechs and Hikaru. But, kyahaha, you can't know yet. P  
Eek, sorry about it being so short... But I've realized my posts are really long and I can't write that fast... ^^;; Okay, well, this was relatively pointless, btw. It has little to no relation to the rest of the story... But, it'll all come together in the end. I promise. -_-;;  



End file.
